


Dead to You

by Lievrehare



Category: Original Work
Genre: Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, Blood, Blood and Gore, Character Death, Depression, Dirty Talk, Drama & Romance, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Feels, Gay, Gay Character, Gay Male Character, Gore, Horror, M/M, Minor Character Death, Post-Zombie Apocalypse, Pre-Zombie Apocalypse, Survival Horror, Trauma, Zombie Apocalypse, Zombie Children, Zombies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-24
Updated: 2020-10-13
Packaged: 2021-03-07 03:14:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,504
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26089990
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lievrehare/pseuds/Lievrehare
Summary: It was a summer of love at Little Brook, but not for Jack. His boyfriend Michael had just disappeared at the stroke of midnight.However, any attempt to find Michael was cut short. Indeed, a zombie plague had just struck their town. Now Jack and his friends have to find a way out of this hell on earth.This is a story where noble ghouls and malicious angels tread. A land of dreams and nightmares that come true. A fairy tale during the apocalypse.*A new chapter every day!*
Relationships: Michael Flores / David Sewall, Michael Flores / Jack Collins
Comments: 4





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [aresinhadestown](https://archiveofourown.org/users/aresinhadestown/gifts), [DestinyxDarkness](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DestinyxDarkness/gifts), [liviie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/liviie/gifts), [ElectricSkelly](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElectricSkelly/gifts), [KKiri_Write](https://archiveofourown.org/users/KKiri_Write/gifts), [Glitchbug_Elliot (Elliot_Is_Gay)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elliot_Is_Gay/gifts), [Bunn3e](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bunn3e/gifts), [Darling_No](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Darling_No/gifts), [Nova Armstrong (Baby__BlueEyes)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Baby__BlueEyes/gifts), [MysticWriter3018](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MysticWriter3018/gifts).



### Prologue: In the Garden of Eden

Tucked away at the edge of the town, a brook babbled over the rocks on the shore, its water as blue as the sky. Close by, a growth of green lichen sprouted from the ground onto a tent. A flysheet was pitched over this natural tent and was tacked down a few feet beyond the boundary edges, offering extra protection from any weather. Empty bottles were strewn around the clearing, from the tent to the brook. Above, the sunrise cast a reddish veil.

'Red in morning, sailors warning...'

Lisa limped out. Barefoot, she picked her way between the broken glass where some of the bottles had been shattered the night before.

She usually was more considerate, but the previous night had been a special occasion. After Lisa joined the Navy, she and Owen had drifted apart. It had been months since she and Owen had talked together, and they had celebrated their reunion with just a little too much to drink. Owen's voice from last night still reverberated.

'You're the only friend I ever had, don't leave me please!'

When images of Owen flashed in her mind, she sighed and massaged her temples with the thumb and index. 

Still buzzed and bleary-eyed, Lisa spotted a brown wool coat on a rock. It was as if it had been left there for her to catch. Owen was still in the tent, deep in his drunken sleep. His dreams must have been full of naked Daenerys and Margaery. Slowly, she approached it. She blinked a few times. The coat grew in size. Through a squint, she could make out grey pants. The fabric carried the fragrance of old petals. Now, there were two black boots, similar to hooves. Through the blurriness, she saw two ebony gloves. It almost could have been at her reach.

It took several moments for her brain to put all the information together. She discerned what seemed to be a pair of hands inside the gloves. Suddenly, all the puzzle pieces slid into place inside her mind.

It was a man.

"Owen, I... I need your help," Lisa said with a feeble voice.

Owen still snored from inside the tent.

From the stranger's stomach, blood dripped into the brook, which tainted the water. It almost looked like he had been eaten to a certain extent. A twitching movement caught her attention. No, it must have been a trick of the hangover and the sun.

He released a dry growl and opened his eyes. Yellow. His eyes were yellow like the ones of a goat. Lisa edged herself back to the tent. Her gaze fixed on the strange man.

"Sir, are- are you okay?" she asked.

Her eyes were damp. They could not see the shard of glass under her left foot. The ball brushed it. Then, she stepped on it. A scream left her mouth as she tripped on the ground.

The rabid stranger got closer, he was ten feet away. Foam dripped from his mouth as he hobbled toward her. Lisa wanted to stand up, but she was glued. Now, the man was five feet away. The ground trembled under his feet, akin to heartbeats. The distance turned to only one feet. A miasma of moss, clay and decomposition emanated from him. The stranger tackled her to the ground. He tried to sink his dark-molded teeth into her skin. His groans, close to a dog, blended with Lisa's screams. 

"OWEN! Help me!" 

It struck Owen in the ears. He threw the blanket away from him and stumbled out of the tent. Lisa beamed, but then sensed a sharp pain in her left wrist.

The man had bitten her.

She screeched. Owen shivered. His hands shook. The muscles of his legs became rigid, so he was unable to move, unable to help Lisa. Her face contorted into a foreign shape. The skin of her cheeks looked like they were about to rip themselves open. It was impossible. Lisa was a soldier. She was meant to be strong. She could not get hurt. Again, Owen felt that his friend was taken away. Blood spurted from the large vein in her wrist and covered her in its sticky wash.

Owen gaped at his left and gripped his skateboard. He staggered and tripped on a rock. Out of breath, he stood up. With a shrill roar, Owen brought down the top edge of the skateboard onto the sick man's head with a loud thump. The skull was smashed. It was smashed again, again and again, until a loud crack was heard, like a gunshot. Grayish-brown tissue swelled through the fractures.

Owen tore a swatch of cloth from the bottom of his t-shirt, coiled it around her wrist, and cinched tightly to control the blood from the wound. Then, he wrapped his arms around Lisa and headed to his car.

"Don't worry, you're gonna be alright," said Owen.

Owen's hand tremored as he tried to unlock the car. The keys jingled between his fingers. Owen snatched the door open and placed her in the passenger seat. When Owen got in the driver seat, his heart thumped against his chest like a drum. It pumped blood to his brain. Owen scanned the car panel. It was Lisa's car, she was supposed to drive it. Lisa's instructions about the car, the previous night, the attack. The memories all twirled inside Owen's mind. They spun around. Ring-a-ring o'roses. Then, they all fell down. A primal scream erupted from Owen. Droplet spits landed on the steering wheel.

"Imagine what Lisa would do. Come on Owen, you can do it."

Owen exhaled and started the engine. As he grabbed the gear stick, he peered at Lisa. Her complexion was pale. Black veins began to snake on all sides of the bite. Then, Owen stepped on the gas. His vision of the road was fast-paced. Trees, buildings, and figures passed like bats out of hell. Owen stared only at the road. They were in town, not far from the hospital."Think like Lisa, think like Lisa," Owen chanted.

Lisa opened her eyes. They were as black as an oil slick. She snarled like a feral banshee. With one lunge, she gnawed at Owen's neck. Her teeth sunk in his skin.

As he tried to protect himself with his hands, the steering wheel lolled to the left. Then, the car drove straight into a lamp post.

Owen pushed his door and fell on the ground. Behind him, there was Lisa. Her porcelain face into the windshield, pierced by the glass. Her eyes still open.

Owen walked and limped away between the streets. His vision got blurry and fragmented. He was in Jeffrey Archer Boulevard. Shop names mixed in his mind. Titty Typhoon, Angela's Horoscope, Fulci Fun Center...

Soon, he wandered into a horde of strange people, strange as Lisa after she got bitten. He was among other creatures now. His gaze fixed on each of them. One of them got close. Half of his face was charred. The smell of burnt steak permeated from him. The creature looked at him with its black hollow eyes, empty of any life.

It walked past him.

Owen was surprised for a moment. But he was soon drowned by hunger. He needed to eat. Unable to communicate anymore, he looked for the sole thing his brain urged for. 

Living flesh.

On the corner of an avenue, he perceived a tall man. Bulkier than him. But it did not matter to him, he felt a new energy inside him. The same he saw in Lisa. His body was stronger now. He sprung at the man and gripped his hands on his arms. Suddenly, he felt his mandible bend. Some sort of needle went through his tongue. Then, the needle got thicker and went up his brain. A curious taste was in his mouth. It had the savor of sour vinegar. Blood.

His blood.

A black and protuberant thorn had burst out of the tall man's right arm. His pupils burnt in a chatoyant red. The black thorn pointed at the sky, it passed through Owen's skull. Without much effort, the man pulled his spike out of the inferior infected, like a corkscrew. The man looked at the dead body with contempt. After that, he closed his eyes, meditated. He checked his reflection in a window and smiled. Then, he ambled away inside the hospital and left Owen's body on the grass. Crows pecked his flesh in decomposition. One of them cut the string of the cross which circled his neck. The crucifix fell in the grass, untouched by the blood. 

Meanwhile, the brook of the glade flowed with it.

\------------------

Well, looks like Lisa and Owen got Red Wedding all over. 

Which character's death has surprised you the most? (Spoiler alert, then)

Mine was in a video game (Danganronpa) where an important character died right away.


	2. Chapter 1: The End of the World - Part 1

After one week, various fires had consumed Little Brook, which became enveloped by a mist of cinder. The grapefruit-tinted houses and lush green grass had taken shades of red and yellow. The future of healthcare was now the potential end of the world.

Jack was one of the citizens of this town. Twenty-two. He had the short blond hair of a young lion cub and a handsome face with two blue buds for eyes. His boyfriend Michael would often say, "they are wide like cherry pies." His frame was shaped by baseball, whereas his mind lacked training.

The young man missed his past life, especially Michael. However, Jack still believed that somehow Michael would return and bring everything back to normal.

Every night, he had those dreams of Michael. They were in a field of roses under a star-sick sky. Jack walked toward Michael, but canker blocked his way. Suddenly, Michael's chest was cracked open by his heart, which swelled. His tar-like hair fell and his dove skin peeled. His whole body regressed and merged with the beating organ, now a flesh chrysalis. Then, two wings sprouted and a beak pierced the center of the heart. A white owl emerged from the pile of meat. And before Jack could do anything, Michael flew away.

Just like with Michael, Jack was confused by those dreams.

Michael and his best friend Ariel had a flat at Les Chateaux, which was an apartment complex. Jack and some of his friends found shelter here. In spite of its name, Les Chateaux was all glitter but no gold. It had chandeliers, pillars, and printed paintings but the running water was sometimes absent and it possessed one of the worst electric currents of Little Brook.

One day, during one of his patrols, he spotted a balloon, outside, between the wood planks. It floated and got stuck under the veranda of the balcony. The claws of the creature could break glasses, but Jack was tired of waiting. He needed hope. He had to get it. Thus, he tore off a plank to take a closer look at the balloon. It had a note stringed to it.

"I'm gonna check this out," said Jack.

"No, we have no idea what's outside," said Ariel.

"I'll be careful, don't worry," replied Jack.

"I-I'm fine with it, as long as Ariel stays close to me," Marian said as she grabbed Ariel by the arm.

"Ugh, alright," Ariel sighed. "But remember to be quiet, those creatures cannot be underestimated," Ariel said.

One thought that Jack kept to himself was that he was certain that Michael was the one who had sent the balloon, as a call-back to the day he disappeared on. Somehow, he found a way to reach them, no matter how stupid it might have appeared.

"We'll cover you," Ariel said, as she gestured at Marian to grab a weapon too.

Jack nodded before he nudged the door to the balcony. He edged his walk as fast as he could to make his way to the white balloon. With caution, he removed the note strung to it.

"Got it," Jack whispered with relief.

He heard Marian gasp and looked behind him. A figure leaped on the balcony. Under her dirty pink hair, her face was stretched by shards of glass, akin to a pinned butterfly. She bayed, then pointed her bloody teeth at him. He could not move.

Before Jack could react, Ariel had already smashed the woman's head with a crowbar, as if she had tried to force the door that was her skull. The blood spurted out of it. What happens when an egg is cracked with a spoon? This is what it reminded Jack of.

"Thanks, Arie-," Jack was cut off by her, as she yanked him inside and closed the door.

Ariel still held the crowbar, hands clenched on it, her breath fast. Jack took a hold of himself and put a hand on Ariel's right shoulder to cool her down too. Whereas, Marian already read the note, after she brushed away her curly black hair. Perhaps Marian loved books because she was as thin and fragile as a sheet of paper.

"Gather in my arms, I shall carry and lead you like a flock," Marian read aloud.

She traced the letters with her wheatish-skinned fingers, half-covered by her white sweater.

Soon, a smile appeared on Marian's worried face.

"We have to go here," she said.

"Where?" asked Jack.

"Eden's hospital. The note, it's informing us that there's a shelter here!" said Marian.

"I don't know, it could be a trap," said Ariel.

"We have to. We'll soon run out of food. At least, we're gonna die trying," Jack said.

When she heard this, Marian gasped and stumbled against the wall. 

With caution, Ariel opened the door and checked around  
With caution, Ariel opened the door and checked around. The hallway was empty. Bloodstains and scratches blemished the beige fret pattern of the hallways. With her left hand, Ariel made sure her brown hair stood still in a bun. Jack followed her with a baseball bat. Marian was last, her eyes darted everywhere while her teeth chattered. All of them stopped in front of the golden elevator. Ariel took a deep breath and pushed the call button. The cables screeched as the lift arrived. A bell rang. 

When the door opened, Jack let go of his bat while Marian shrieked. Ariel took a grasp of her crowbar as she forced herself to look. Inside the lift laid supine a pair of legs. They had jeans on and ruby stilettos. No upper body was attached to it. Only bowels slithered from her cut out waist.

"She's dead, nothing to be scared of," Ariel said with no emotion.

"How do you remain so calm? She got cut in half!" Jack said as he retrieved his weapon.

Ariel sighed. "It was your idea to go to the hospital? Then let's stop wasting time with useless questions."

Jack gulped and glared at Ariel. Her words were similar to a vaccine shot, straight to the point, and sharp. 

Ariel and Jack stepped over the corpse. Marian threaded against the right door and recoiled in a corner of the lift. Once inside the lift, Jack pushed the ground level button.

"Marian, turn away." Ariel pointed toward the corner Marian stood in.

After Marian did so, Ariel knelt and handled the bisected body. Then, she lined it horizontally in front of the double doors. 

"The hell are you doing?" asked Jack.

"Whatever's waiting for us on the ground floor, it's gonna trip on it," she replied.

Once she was done, Ariel wiped her hands on her purple shirt. The three young adults waited as the light descended from one floor to another. Lower and lower. With adrenaline, the stench of dead flesh peaked. 

The bell rang again and the doors slid open. An obese man had his back turned to them. His hair trailed around a bald patch on his head. Sweat soaked his navy shirt. 

"That's the landlord," Jack whispered.

Black veins zigzagged on his left hand. Blood dripped from what was left of his index and middle finger.

"Not anymore," said Ariel.

The landlord sniffed and turn around. His ebony eyes fixated on them. He growled and stretched his maw wide. A porcine yowl came out of his mouth. The man stomped in their direction. Marian panted and trembled. Jack's leg muscles tightened as he lifted his bat. As soon as the landlord lurched in, the corpse got in his way and he sprawled down. 

At warp speed, Ariel pushed Marian out of the way and put her left foot on the landlord's back. 

"Jack, help me!" shouted Ariel.

Jack gulped and jerked forward. The young man seized the landlord by the wrists. Then, Ariel rose her crowbar and welted it down on the landlord's skull. Crimson liquid spurt as the claw got stuck in the man's head. With a pop, Ariel pulled her bar out and hit it down again. A crunch echoed in the elevator as a third hit came. At the fourth one, the man stopped to mewl.

Marian shuffled against the front desk, her arms curled around herself.

"We're gonna die, we're gonna die", she said with a weak voice.

Ariel pored over the young woman and walked toward her. In one second, Ariel used her right hand to slap Marian. 

"We're gonna be okay, calm down, please." Ariel caressed Marian's left arm as she said this.

Ariel went out first to lead the way, while Jack closed it. The alley was empty of any life. It was as if the other citizens had got raptured. Only the sun remained. It watched over the town like an eye. They walked in a steady manner, apart from Marian who had her fingers wrapped around each other. 

After they turned at the corner of Tituba Avenue, a carousel basked in front of them. Michael and Jack used to ride here on the white rabbit all night. Jack's daydreams were cut by Ariel, who had dragged them behind a car.

"Ring around the rosies. A pocket full of posies," sang a spectral voice.

Ariel put a finger against her lips before she pointed at their left. A feminine figure with a chimp mask and a lace white dress danced around. She moved with grace, akin to an invisible play of hopscotch. The angelic fabric was torn off and covered by blotches of blood.

"Ashes, ashes, we all fall down," she hummed.

Jack tried to stand up, but Ariel pulled him back. "We have to help her," he said.

"Are you out of your mind? She's clearly infected," Ariel said with furrowed brows.

"Hum... Huhh..." Marian stuttered as she patted Ariel on the shoulder. "H-here." 

Marian gestured at where they came from and their right. Packs of deeply wounded people wandered toward them. Infected. 

Ariel grabbed her crowbar. "We can't fight all of them."

All of a sudden, a rusty metallic sound resonated from their left. The pale woman had just pulled a lever of the carousel. Hence, the chimeras of the merry-go-round were brought to life as faeries music played. The woman giggled and took hold of a white horse. 

"Ring around the stories. A pocket full of posies," she sang higher as she spun with the artificial fireflies of the attraction.

As soon as they noticed her, the zombies headed toward her. Ariel extended her arms and pushed both Jack and Marian against the car. Slowly, the infected walked past them. 

"Wh-what is she doin'?" asked Marian.

Nobody answered. 

The woman stayed on the carousel and gathered the zombies with her siren song. The scene was similar to Andromeda and the beast of the seas. Except that there was more than one monster this time.

"Let's go," Ariel ordered as she stood up.

Jack threw his right hand toward the merry-go-round. "We can't leave her, she's sacrificing herself for us!"

Ariel looked down on Jack. "A sacrifice means that someone has to die, and it won't be any of you."

The young man starred one last time at the strange woman. More and more zombies circled her, but not a hint of fear transpired in her voice. Jack punched the ground with his left hand. Then, he ran away with Ariel and Marian. Progressively, the woman's song got lower. Perhaps because of the distance. Perhaps because her mouth got muffled by the infected.

"Ashes, ashes, we all fall down," the woman sang one last time before silence and oblivion replaced her. 

When they got far enough, they stopped in front of a florist. As Jack knelt and exhaled, a rather familiar shadow wandered in an alley.

"Michael?" Jack asked.

The area was narrow and dusky. A miasma of rot pervaded from the trash cans.

The dark-haired figure turned around. His face was pallid, the skin white as asphalt. His stomach was open with the liver apparent. His teeth were sharp as the ones of a piranha. He snarled and charged at them. His claws raked against the walls.

Jack flung down his baseball bat on it.

Almost on his knees, he turned his gaze away, unable to hit it one more time. Ariel sighed and pushed Jack to the side. She struck it until its head was a puddle of flesh.

"I thought that it was Michael," Jack said with a weak voice.

"Just... Michael would hate to see you like this," Ariel said. "Let's go."

With its white monumental walls, Eden's Hospital towered like a beacon among the wretched buildings  
With its white monumental walls, Eden's Hospital towered like a beacon among the wretched buildings. A town mildewed and in decay. A fence of scraps surrounded the shelter, with a small gate guarded by armed men. Jack smiled as he admired the safe-haven, but he was interrupted by the men, who pointed their weapons toward them.

"Wait, we-" Jack said.

"Quick, enter!" one of the men shouted.

The gate opened and the three ran back in. As Ariel looked behind, she watched with horror as a pale woman approached. Pink tumors and appendages burst out of her face and arms. She growled with an inhuman voice.

The soldiers shot at her. She used her appendages as an armor to protect herself. One of them managed to shoot a red cloud out of her. Right in the forehead. She collapsed.

"Wh-what was it?" asked Ariel, shaken up.

"A special infected," one of the soldiers said. "These evolved motherfuckers are a pain from the ass to the guts."

The man led them to the entrance hall. "The name's Peter," he said as he opened the door for them.

The inside of the hospital blinded them with its brightness. They almost tripped down the stairs. It seemed to be another world, uncanny for its glee, like a Paradise island in a blood sea. It was huge to them, perhaps taller than it was in reality. The white pillars carried the cloud-like ceiling and its lights gave to the tiles a translucent aspect as if you walked on nothing.

"Welcome to Eden's Hospital!" said a familiar voice. "We have five stars on- Jack?"

Jack knew this voice, it was silvery and honeyed.

"Michael?" said Jack. "It's you?".

\-------------------------

Raise your hand if you feel bad for Jack :/

Which character do you feel the saddest for?

Mine is Carrie White from Carrie.


	3. Chapter 1: The End of the World - Part 2

Michael looked at him with his greyish brown eyes. Jack had already seen that gaze before. It unsettled him a lot. It was as if he read his soul. Jack wanted to tell him so many things, but only silence left his mouth. After a moment, Michael just bolted away from them.  
"I'll check on him," Ariel said as she followed him.  
Jack lowered his eyes to the ground.  
In the children's ward, Ariel traveled through a hallway of colorful drawings before she arrived at what seemed to be Michael's windowless room. It seemed to be out of a fairytale, where the princess waited for her prince. As he never came, the pink of the walls faded into a molded blue. The raven-haired young man sat on his bed, and looked at a wall, his eyes lost.  
"You okay?" asked Ariel.  
"Hey, sorry for running away. It was just- a lot to handle," replied Michael. "I'm glad that you're still alive."  
"I'm glad to see you again too," Ariel smiled, "So, about Jack..."  
"I don't want to talk about this," Michael cut.  
Michael closed his eyes before his face shifted from one emotion to a complete state of joy.   
"If you want, we need more medics here, perhaps you could help?" he said  
"Of course," she replied while she rubbed her left hand.  
"Nice! By the way, I need to introduce you to David, honest, smart, and... hot as hell," Michael raced through his words, with a tone much faster than a few seconds ago.  
Ariel lolled her head. "David? You're with him?"  
"Yep," Michael replied with a flawed Cheshire cat grin.

In the hall of the hospital, Jack and Marian were welcomed by a tall blond man with an impressive build. It made him look like Jack's older brother. He wore a blue jacket with a red shirt underneath.  
"Hey, fancy seeing new faces here." He shook Jack's hand with a warm and strong grasp. "I'm David."  
"I'm Jack, and that's Marian," said Jack.  
David rose his eyebrows and pointed at two of them. "Oh, so you two are?"  
"No, we're just friends," said Jack with a tight voice.  
"Sure, they all say that at the start." David winked. "So, let me give you a tour of our home sweet home."  
He tried to think otherwise, but Jack did not like the man.  
They followed David through the hospital. All of a sudden, they stumbled upon Michael and Ariel, which made the former drop his simper.  
"Mikie, honey, you're here," David said with a festive voice before he kissed him in front of Jack.  
Jack widened his eyes. "You two are-"  
"Together," David said. "Oh, and you must be Ariel, Michael's sister. He talked about you." David shook her hand with liveliness.  
"Oh, I'm Michael's best friend actually," said Ariel as she massaged her wrist.  
All of them looked at each other with embarrassment, except for David who had a wide smile on his face, his right arm coiled around Michael's shoulders. However, the scene was broken by Peter and other men, who jerked toward them.  
"We have a problem," said the man.

Peter led them toward the makeshift fence. From afar, a beige ball seemed to have been thrown over it. As they walked closer. Marian screamed and ran inside. Jack rushed after to calm her. Next to the fence, they saw what it really was.   
A human head.  
"Adam," Michael said.  
David lost his smirk. A paper was pushed into the dead man's mouth.   
He read it. "They want half of our food and weapons."  
"We should accept the deal," Peter said with a clenched jaw.  
"We're not. This place is mine, they're not going to take anything away from it," David said.  
"But we got kids in here!" shouted Peter.  
David glared at Peter. "Don't question my order."   
Peter bit his tongue and nodded.  
While David talked, Michael knelt in front of the head and put his right hand on it. With delicateness, he closed Adam's eyes.  
The news of Adam's death had spread a swarm of fear within the hospital. The safe-haven did not appear safe anymore. The funeral held for what was left of Adam was simple. In a lack of proper coffins, a plastic case was used to bury him. Not a lot of people attended the event apart from David, some guards, Michael, Peter, Jack, and Ariel. Whereas, Marian preferred to shelter herself in the library.   
"Neither death, nor life, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us," David said as guards started to dig a hole. "We got some rooms free for you and your friends," he said to Ariel.  
While they discussed, Jack glanced at Michael. The latter was giving him a concerned look but turned away as soon as he noticed that Jack's eyes were on him.  
Once the funeral was done, everyone adapted to their new lives. It was already the night, but the hospital had decent lighting. Hence, Jack had no difficulty to find the cardiology ward, where his room was. The hallway had the faint scent of sulfur. As he turned into a corner, he stopped on Michael who played with a dog.  
"Hey," Jack stopped Michael, "So, you're with David, now?"  
Michael took a deep breath and gave a gentle pamper to the dog, while he dodged Jack's eyes.   
"Yes," he said.  
Jack crossed his arms and sighed."Is it some kind of revenge?" he asked.  
Michael did not reply.  
Jack looked at Michael for a moment before he shook his head and walked away to the left.  
Michael stayed still in the hallway for a moment, he looked at where Jack used to be. He let out a deep sigh. Then, he led the dog back to their owner and returned to his room and locked the door.   
Somewhere else in the city, a group of six people roamed the plagued town. Three men and one woman. A rugged man with a beard led them. Knives and crowbars in hand. Their clothes were mangy with sweat.   
"Ugh!" groaned the leader.  
"What's that?" asked the woman.  
The bearded man kicked a burnt hose away from him.  
"Nothing. Thought it was a snake, hate those things," he said.  
At the end of the road stood a figure in the night.   
The scavengers laughed and surrounded him. The stranger had on a black hoodie and a pair of grey jeans.   
"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" said one of the scavengers.  
The stranger's eyes turned into a serpentine yellow; black veins grew under their skin. Their nails grew into claws, sharper than a lion.  
A small hump inflated on their back. Their spine cracked and moved like a centipede. It split itself into two chrysalides of flesh and mucus. A plumed iron curtain burst out of him. It rushed to the man at the stranger's left   
"Aaargh!" screamed the scavenger as he fell on the ground.  
His right shoulder separated from his chest.  
Their chief fell on the ground, his chest cramp.   
Next to him, the woman watched her friend on the ground. He got sliced like a paper doll cut by a reckless child. The man slinked to a safe distance. The hooded figure still had their head turned to the left, while the woman was in the opposite direction. The backbone in their neck undulated. Then, it folded in the other sense. Their head tilted to the right. A second wing tore open from the young man's back, more white than the one of an eagle. The woman stretched her mouth agape. From the middle, her skull was divided down. Her head opened like the jaws of an alligator.  
The one behind the hooded figure ran. With a grin, the latter folded his neck in a snap. They lifted their arms above their wings, bent backward, and walked on all fours. The man screamed. The infected crawled fast toward him, faster than he had ever seen. The man's fear clotted his lungs. Darkness surrounded him. Nothing could have been seen, not even the car abandoned in front of him, until the impact. His head buzzed as he laid on the ground. Nothing was in his field of view. A loud bang resonated on the car shield. The man yelled.  
The winged figure put his claws on his throat and skinned it open.  
Their leader ran too. The night got him lost into a dead end. He tried to climb the fence on his way. A figure raced behind him. When he turned around, nobody was here. On the left, was a small gap between two buildings. Too narrow for any human to cross. It was dark and damp.   
From the darkness, nails peeked.   
A hand burst and clawed the wall. A leg slithered and stomped on the ground. A pair of amber eyes pierced the darkness. The hand pushed against the wall. A young man came out with a smile taking half of his face.  
The scavenger tried to flee, but the creature jumped on him. He tripped down on the ground. Its wings writhed around. The membrane shredded itself. The bones cracked. It spewed and sizzled. The wings melded into six appendages that hissed. Then ten. Then fifteen. A whole mantle of serpents. The scavenger's lungs constricted as if fists pressed them.  
"What's wrong? Scared of snakes?" said Michael.  
"Please, go away from me," the scavenger said with a shrill voice.  
"Don't be afraid," Michael said. "I'm an Angel."  
The snakes opened their jaws. Then, they sank their fangs in the man's skin.  
The man's screams pierced the night before it flooded into a gulp of blood that scorched his throat.


	4. Chapter 2: Snake in the Apple

Seven months before the Outbreak.

The snow powdered the streets of Faircomb. It veiled its asphalt with a flawless coat of fur. In one of its rustic brick houses, the Christmas decorations were for once set all over it. Inside, the rattle of the fireplace and the sizzle of the lurid rainbow lights were the unique sounds to be heard. Around a table, Jack brushed his blond hair. He avoided the gaze of the older man sat in front of him. The latter leaned forward with his elbows still on the snowman themed cloth. Between the two of them, Michael shifted his stare, as he tapped his fingers on the table with a smile. Finally, as Michael rubbed Jack's right hand with tenderness, the silence was broken.

"Hmm, dad. Well, "Jack sighed. "I-I am... gay," Jack said with a small voice, his gaze feeble.

Michael turned his attention to Jack's father. The latter jutted his chin, as sweat dropped on his son's forehead. Suddenly, a burst of laughter erupted from him as he hugged Jack.

"I thought you would never tell me!" he shouted with a relieved tone.

Michael watched the scene. He had on the innocent smile of a baby crocodile.

One month after the Outbreak.

In a dark alley, Michael shook his left leg. He tried to get rid of the sticky intestine part on his shoe. With groans, he rubbed it on a nearby wall. It squished and left a red trail on it. Satisfied, he stripped himself of his clothes and dropped his backpack on the ground. Out of it, he grabbed a bottle of water and poured it all over him. Then, he picked a syringe out and injected himself with the dark crimson liquid. Soon, the black veins on him disappeared with his mutated appendages. It veneered him to a healthier complexion.

His slitted eyes caught his reflection in a window, and looked at his lean and fawn-tinted body. After he walked closer to it, he scrutinized his face and washed it with a towel. Before the virus struck the town, he was used to conceal and retouch his appearance with makeup, to peel one skin to another for his audience. Even if no blood remained on his feminine features, he continued to admire his face. He smiled before he grabbed clothes out of his bag, the ones he wore before he left the hospital. The stage, the curtain, the act. Michael knew how to adapt to the costume he wore.

In the white palace that was Eden's Hospital, the wind blew through the air vents the faint scent of rot from the streets. It blended with the perfume of antiseptic. In the library, some survivors were reunited, whose shelves were pushed against the barricaded windows and missed a great number of books because of the chaos. On a center table, two maps of the town were slightly piled while whiteboards were nailed on the walls.

"What about this way?" Jack pointed at a red cross at the top right corner of one map.

"No way. The infected have crowded this area, they know that this is the only exit possible," said Peter with an assurance firm as an oak tree.

Marian looked at the ground and rubbed her right arm while Ariel crossed hers.

"If we can find enough weapons, we can reach the army and find a way out." Jack tapped his finger on the location.

"If we do this, we're risking to lose many people." Ariel brushed her hair.

"But, what if-"

"Jack. Jack, is it?" David put his hand on Jack's left shoulder. "Your courage and optimism, great, good qualities. But, you're new here. So, listen to the grown-ups." David laughed as he patted Jack on the cheek.

Michael leaned back on the desk behind him. He leered at David with half-closed lids, and tilted his head to the side, with a smirk. His spectacle was interrupted by a man's loud coughs.

"What do you want?" Michael asked and moved his head in his direction with laziness.

"I know about your little secret," the man whispered through his alcohol-scented beard, which froze Michael. "Follow me."

Arms crossed, Michael followed the leather-jacket man to an empty part of the hospital. The room was robbed of any useful item and dim lighted, which gave to the porcelain walls a sick halo.

"I saw you, going out last night, it was very strange," the bald man said.

"It- it was just some stuff to eat, I needed it!" Michael said with a worried voice. "The things that we ate and drank here, it's so-"

"Wait," the man cut Michael. "You said drinking?"

"Yes," Michael hissed. "It was a bar, it was incredible all the things that were left inside. Burgers, fries..." His eyes meandered before they aimed directly at the man at the last word, opened like wolf snares." Beer."

"Tell me where I can find it!" the man lifted Michael by the collar.

On the inside, Michael smiled.

Ariel looked for the medication in the pharmacy, the place has been tainted by stretchers and blood splatters, forced to be the hospital of the hospital  
Ariel looked for the medication in the pharmacy, the place has been tainted by stretchers and blood splatters, forced to be the hospital of the hospital. Injured and sick people lied on their emergency beds, while the medical staff watched over them. Under her surgical mask, she let out a sigh at the sight of a few empty drawers.

Ariel walked out of the room and leaned down against the wall of the hallway. She covered her face with her hands and brushed them through her chestnut hair. At one point, she noticed a redhead woman in her forties, at her right, who sobbed over the picture of a boy.

"S-sorry, I thought nobody was here." The woman wiped the tears off her face. "My name's Lily." She simpered. "This is my son in the picture... He, he's..." The woman covered her face with her right hand.

Ariel gave one more look at the picture before she put her hands on the woman's right shoulder and left arm. Suddenly, the woman gasped, before she walked away.

"What's wrong with her?" Michael asked with an innocent voice.

"She... she lost her son," Ariel said.

"Oh well, plenty more fish in the sea," Michael said as he threw his hands up, which made Ariel glare daggers at him. "Aaanyway..." Michael rolled his. "What do you think of me and David's honeymoon hotel?"

"It's missing a lot of important drugs." Ariel rushed inside the pharmacy.

"Wow, I know that they are like-people dying around you, but could you relax a little? Where is the fun Ariel? The one I got arrested with?" Michael complained with a pout.

"I don't have time to party. Plus, the one nightclub in our town got swarmed with zombies," Ariel said while she read a diagnosis sheet.

"Hmm, what if I got you humongous supplies of the drugs you need. Would you be up to party then?" Michael asked as he sat on a sick man's lap.

"In this case, I guess that I would be more inclined to-"

Before Ariel could finish, Michael was already gone. Have it been a cartoon, there would have been a hole shaped like him in the wall.

The burnt down buildings were repopulated by creeper weeds  
The burnt down buildings were repopulated by creeper weeds. Between them, Michael led the leather-jacket man, escorted by Peter and Lily. They were on bicycles, much to Michael's entertainment. At one point, they arrived in front of the location of the red cross on David's map. Avernus Bridge. It was a rusty truss bridge, whose path and waters were infested by zombies.

"What's happening?!" asked the man with the leather jacket.

From behind, Peter had seized him.

Michael gestured toward the water. Peter dragged him at the edge of the pit.

His nails rasped on the ground, which trailed lines of blood.

"N-no no! Please!" he screamed.

Peter threw him inside the pit. 

Above him, Michael watched the feast. Peter had already seen this.

At Tekapo, a sheep struggled to climb up the slope of a slough. Before he could help, a body of slippery eels had crawled toward the harmless animal.

Unable to move, Peter watched as the sheep yelped for his life, almost with a human tone. The creatures around bit his skin. Tore the holes open and dug their maws inside. A steady rip to pieces, Peter turned away from the spectacle.

Michael had his eyes closed.

"That was fun," Michael said with a disjointed smile.

Peter observed the young man's expression. It was contorted as if Michael forced himself to smile.

"That was fun," said Michael again with a happier tone.

Michael kept on repeating these words. Peter thought that it was an attempt to convince him and Lily of the statement. However, Michael seemed detached from the whole situation. His gaze was not oriented toward anyone. Were those words meant for Michael himself?

"So," Michael said as he clapped his hands together. "You're gonna fetch some food around the town, with an emergency for puppy kibble." The young man handed a bag to Lily. "And you, you're gonna find the drugs on this list, as much as you can." He did the same with Peter, escorted with a shopping list. "Let's reunite at the bridge later. See ya!" Michael said as he started to walk away.

"Wait, what are you going to do?" Peter asked while a bewildered and still shocked Lily just stared at him.

"I'm gonna find some presents for David, of course," Michael announced with gleamer in his eyes.

"Michael," Peter paused. "Are you okay?"

The young man shook. He turned his head toward Peter with tremors.

"Yes," Michael said with a perfect plastered smile.

Ariel was in her room with Marian, one arm on Marian's right shoulder, another on her left elbow. Her room had the bare minimum, a bed, and a desk. On the latter were organized medical papers, pencils, and a large amount of brainwork.

"What if those monsters find a way to the hospital and we all die?" Marian asked while tears shed on her brown cream cheeks.

"Don't worry, I know that we will be okay." Ariel firmly pored over Marian.

"Thank you." Marian smiled, which stopped as she looked behind Ariel."I have to go."

Quickly, she stood up and walked out of the room. She avoided hitting Michael on the way.

Ariel tried to stop her, but she was already gone.

"Does she know that it's your room?" Michael asked, his left hand clasped on Ariel's desk.

"You should be nicer to her," Ariel said.

"Yeah, suuure... Anyway, guess what the fairy Godmother found?" Michael showed a bag full of medication, lifting his chin up.

"This, this is outstanding. Thank you," Ariel mumbled.

"That's the role of a best friend." Michael stood tall.

With one of his hands, he pushed a strand of hair on Ariel's left shoulder.

Seven months before the Outbreak.

The snow melted in Faircomb, which revealed rubbish on the streets. Michael removed the flashy lights. Inside his father's house, Jack paced in circles.

"Perhaps he-"

"He is never late," Jack cut Michael.

Suddenly, somebody knocked at the door, which Jack opened in a dart, only to see a different older man.

"Jack Collins?" The police officer asked.

"Yes?"

"Sorry... We think he tried to fight a thief and..."

Jack almost fell on the ground, before he was caught by Michael. Michael hugged him as hard as he could. He brushed his boyfriend's hair and whispered to him with kind words. The sirens echoed in front of the house. On the porch, the snow was gone.


End file.
